punching bag

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpʌnt͡ʃɪŋ ˌbæɡ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpʌnt͡ʃɪŋ ˌbæɡ/, [ˈpən(t)ʃɪŋ-]
• Hyphenation: punch‧ing bag

punching bag (plural punching bags) (chiefly US)

1. A tough bag, usually cylindrical, filled with air, sand, or other material, often suspended so that it swings freely, which is punched or kicked when practising sports such as boxing or martial arts.

   Synonym: (Britain) punchbag

   Hyponym: speed bag

   Coordinate terms: focus bag, speed ball, swerve ball

2. (figuratively) A person serving as an object of abuse.

   Synonym: (Britain) punchbag

   • 2019 April 14, Alex McLevy, “Winter is Here on Game of Thrones’ Final Season Premiere (Newbies)”, in The A.V. Club‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 December 2020:

     For so long, Theon Greyjoy was the punching bag of Game of Thrones, a sort of shitty Charlie Brown who not only failed to kick the football, but would then be beaten savagely with it every time he landed on his ass.

   • 2025 June 16, Eric Bulson, “Yes I Will Read ‘Ulysses’ Yes”, in The Atlantic‎^[2], →ISSN:

     The response was swift, and [Harold] Bloom became a punching bag for leftist critics, who valued literature’s power to deliver social and political messages for the underrepresented.

• punching bag on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “punching bag, n.” under “punching, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2020.
• “punching bag, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.